


Be My Last Wound

by OceanPalace



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-06 04:32:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15186851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanPalace/pseuds/OceanPalace
Summary: Komaeda could only fantasize about the consequences of terrible luck; the absolute hope that is birthed from it.When it came to being stuck between a rock and hard place, he could only fear what would happen when someone closed the floodgates.





	1. Heavy Seas

**Author's Note:**

> i didn't proofread this please don't bully me
> 
> hello! it's me, your local illiterate dumbass at it again. it's multi-chapter this time.  
> now, it's that common fear: "oh FUCK, they're going to abandon this halfway on a cliffhanger, aren't they?" well... your fears are valid.  
> but luckily(!) i have 75% of this story planned out, i just have to work out specific... details. 
> 
> for the sake of exposition: this chapter is mostly connected to canon; in fact, a lot of this story will be, but with one crucial difference that will be that game changer. that trope will become more obvious later if y'all are still around. you'll have to see.  
> this fic will ramp up in certain warnings as we go along. nothing sexually related, but... you know. it's... definitely a tinge more serious than "Opalite".  
> that thing was a cheese fest, topped with cliches and a lot of crap-fluff. i almost felt bad reading it last night. 
> 
> mm, making up for the lack of a physical love life. 
> 
> can you see me projecting through the characters? good. 
> 
> i will try to include most, if not all, of the characters in sdr2 and have them interact with the main duo at least once.  
> plus, i need filler content. ohoh, i sure need a LOT of fucking landfill. this is a bit of an intimidatingly large project, but i will do my best!
> 
> i can only hope that you all can enjoy the story as we go along!  
> thank you for your time, and please enjoy the kinda-short first chapter!
> 
> [MINOR EDIT: 2018-07-17] i'm a fucking dumb and wrote monomi instead of usami just. put me out of my misery

 

 

The smell and taste of saltwater was overwhelming for him, even in his numb and veiled haze.  
What Hinata could barely see beyond his clouded fever dream was a door; a single light shining through like a beacon, shining despite being embraced by a thick blackness.  
  
A void so harrowingly endless, he could feel the growing weight in his stomach nearly bring him to his knees. Somehow, it all felt like déjà vu, as if he’d only seen it moments ago. Almost as if someone had rewound his memory like a tape, tampering around in his brain like a crazed mechanic taking apart a machine haphazardly. He could hear the metaphorical screws in his brain, falling to his feet with every step he took toward the light.  
  
_Click… click… clang!_  
  
It would be wrong to say that he was unafraid of what was waiting for him.  
  
And yet, he pressed on, no matter how much it took out of him.  
He pressed on towards the tempting warmth beyond the door, until he could feel his heart beat in his chest again. He pressed on, until he could suddenly feel the summer sun’s scorching gaze of light scatter upon his skin. What felt like hot sand and tiny stones, uncomfortably sweltered and grit against his back, making his skin burn just a bit through the thin shirt he wore.   
The sun’s gaze wasn’t the only one he felt.  
  
_‘Ah, so this is a different beginning, is it?’_  
  
The sunlight really wasn’t as blinding as he would have expected it to be.  
  
Rather, the figure above that eclipsed the sunlight startled him more.  
The flare of the sun that haloed about their wispy white hair appeared so dazzling, he could have mistaken them for clouds if it weren’t for its wild and unkempt form.  
  
Slowly but surely, Hinata could feel his eyes adjusting to the brightness of the blue sky, letting his brows relax a little. Thankfully getting less blurry, and a bit more focused with every passing minute, his throbbing headache growing a bit duller. Most likely thanks to the lack of sunlight, while laying under the shadow of a boy, he’d assumed.  
  
_‘Speaking of which—’_  
  
“Ah… so you didn’t hear me?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
The mysterious boy’s flickered with the slightest bit of nervousness, hesitantly opening and then shutting his mouth back up before he went to a small smile.  
“I guess you were a bit too dazed to hear me… ah, not that anything that comes out of my foul mouth should matter to someone like you, of course!”  
That caught the dazed boy by surprise. His words were… _peculiar_ , to say the least. Merely shrugging his shoulders and airily laughing it off in a jovial tone, Hinata could only hope that he really was just joking. Still… __  
  
“It’s fine! I was just wondering if you were, uh… alive. You passed out shortly after you saw everyone in the classroom, and then I found you on the beach.”  
The boy’s warm smile had faded to a look of worry as his eyes parted to the sand. Hinata wordlessly pushed himself upright, ignoring the ache in his bones and the sweat that made his clothes stick to his skin. His eyes briefly scanned over his body to see if he’d sustained any injuries, but other than chapped lips that were more of an inconvenience than injury, he was rather scot-free. Hinata’s eyes returned to the boy at his side, looking a little more anxious than before.    
  
“—I mean, you don’t have to answer that! I’m sorry my face had to be the first thing you saw when you woke up, y-you must be pretty disgusted, huh?”  
  
“No, no it’s… it’s not like that at all. I was just a little dazed because I can’t remember a whole lot. It’s stressing me out, not gonna lie…”  
  
Hinata tried to muster a proper smile, at least to reassure the kid that he didn’t hate his guts. Hell, how could he? He didn’t even know his name yet.    
At least it looked like the boy understood, letting the anxiety fade from his expression and returning to a friendly smile. Hinata noted that he had a rather lovely smile, if he was completely honest.  
  
Picking himself off the sand, and gently dusting off his jeans and parka, the boy extended a hand to Hinata. He didn’t anticipate, however, just how much his legs would feel like a weird mix between jelly and stone; almost like a newborn trying to walk for the first time, as embarrassing as it sounded to his own ears.  
The seemingly cloud-headed boy noticed his struggle with an amused look, unmindful of the fact that they were still holding hands, and instead gripped it a little firmer to help Hinata’s balance.  
  
“By the way, not that knowing it is important, but I guess it’d be rude to not tell you my name. I’m Komaeda Nagito. And… oh! And you don’t have to worry about formalities like shaking hands. Firstly, because I’m not all that special. Secondly, you’re already kind of… still holding my hand…”  
His words trailed off so quietly that it took Hinata a few moments to register what he meant.  
  
_‘Ah.’_  
  
“Crap, sorry! —” Hinata hastily and awkwardly retracted his hand from the prolonged contact, mildly cursing in his mind for being difficult before he could even introduce himself.  
“I-I mean, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Hinata Hajime, and I really owe you for looking after me while I was passed out like that.” He spoke with whatever shred of dignity he had left, letting a small and friendly smile play on his lips.  
  
“Hinata-kun, is it? It’s an honor to meet you!” The boy who addressed himself as Komaeda positively beamed at the brunette’s name, though Hinata thought being an _honor_ would be too high of a praise.  
Yet, nothing seemed to deter the tall, pale, frail looking boy from his self-deprecative and idolizing ways.  
  
“It’s certainly not a problem to wait for a fellow classmate, especially someone such as yourself!”  
  
“Ah, there you go again…” A sigh left Hinata’s lips as he peered at the other’s expression, wide eyed and sparkling with anticipation. _‘For what?!’_  
“I appreciate it, but I’m _really_ not as special as you make me out to be, Komaeda.”  
  
“Why wouldn’t you be? You’re an Ultimate after all, aren’t you? Just like everyone else?”  
  
Hinata could only find it strange, how his body felt like it locked up of its own accord for the briefest moment, that he really tasted the salty sea air, realizing just how dry it felt on his throat. That word…  
  
“An… Ultimate?”  
  
This time, it was Komaeda who seemed to falter for a moment; a conflicted emotion seemed to betray him so quickly, that if Hinata blinked he would have missed it. But that too, of course, had been replaced with his usual smile.  
  
“Of course! I… I didn’t mention mine, because of how utterly worthless my talent is…” A small airy laugh escaped him, in spite of those demoralizing words. “But if you must know, it is… luck. I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student.”  
  
Hinata’s throat really did feel like it was closing in on him. He racked his brain for something, anything, about his talent.  
Nothing.  
Not a single clue.  
It already felt like his brain was going to tear apart from everything that was happening, and now he couldn’t even remember who the hell he was. With his mouth feeling drier than before, he hesitantly answered the other.  
  
“I… don’t remember what my talent is…”  
  
Komaeda’s expression didn’t change for a moment, until he picked up on the fact that Hinata was clearly distressed by his lack of memory and followed suit.  
  
“O-oh! I suppose your fit of unconsciousness made you a little forgetful, huh? Haha…” Komaeda’s attempt to brighten the mood didn’t go as well as he’d planned, hastily covering up for it instead, “What I mean is… I’ll help you figure out your talent again! Please don’t worry, Hinata-kun! If it’s in my power to help out an Ultimate, I think that’d be the biggest honor, and the greatest hope I could ever fathom to achieve.”  
  
_‘Hope, huh…?’_  
  
A small smile came back to Hinata’s lips for the sake of his friendly acquaintance. And thankfully, Komaeda reciprocated, finding a certain comforting gleam in his silvery eyes.  
  
After a bit of exploring the beach, the two of them decided to meet the rest of their classmates. Or at least, Komaeda was encouraging Hinata to do so, as the former had already met and spoken with all of his classmates beforehand. Hinata could only anticipate so much from the colourful cast the other boy had been describing to him. ‘Wonderful’, ‘inspiring’, and ‘full-of-hope’, were only a few of the words Komaeda used when talking about the other Ultimates.  
  
It was funny in a way, how he praised everyone like an overjoyed fan when he himself was an Ultimate; rather, why he sees his talent as worthless when the fact that he has a talent at all is an incredible feat. Especially being fortunate enough to be studying in such a prestigious school like Hopes Peak Academy, among other equally talented folks as well as Hinata.  
  
As unorthodox as the talent of “luck” may be, it’s still incredible to have a talent that he can at least remember… right?  
  
Hinata’s mind clicked back to reality as he walked beside Komaeda, taking in the surroundings. The supposed island they were on was beautiful, granted, but it felt far too suspicious.  
Things were almost too quiet. Nothing seemed to be of immediate danger, but his gut instinct never lied. He truly couldn’t bring his heart to calm down from its rampant pace, nothing except remembering that he wasn’t alone in this.  
  
On the other hand, Komaeda’s expression was neutral, observant as he studied the passing scenery; apparently, they’d been going east according to the chicken-scratch compass they found tucked away in some tall shrubs by on the beach.  
‘Compass’ would even be too generous of a word, as it was just two weathered wooden planks with “N, E, S, W,” scratched on in their respective order, rusty nails driven through the boards that just barely held them together in one piece. But it did the job just fine.  
  
After a long stretch of silence, Hinata finally spoke up to the boy beside him.  
“A-ah…. Hey, are you sure we’re heading the right way?”  
  
“What’s this, Hinata-kun? You don’t trust me?”  
  
Hinata visibly panicked at the words, ready to curse himself yet again, only to be soothed by a quiet chuckle resounding from the white-haired boy, “It’s just a joke. You don’t have to take my words so seriously, you know?”  
A small smile etched onto his lips yet again, bringing another wave of calmness between them simply at the sight. “I’m glad to hear you’re talking more, though I don’t mind if you choose to stay silent. You seem to make things feel a little relaxed… oh! That might just be your talent!” Komaeda spoke with a sparkle in his eyes, clasping his hands behind his back as he smiled at the other boy.  
  
“…What might be?”  
  
“Ultimate Serenity!”  
  
Hinata choked out a small stifled laugh at the words.  
Though the idea was a bit ridiculous, he thought it was rather sweet of the guy to think of him practically being the embodiment of peace. God knows, he knew how to get angry and be a foul-mouth when needed, so Ultimate Serenity was most likely _not_ in his books. He playfully nudged the other’s shoulder with a lazy fist, returning the smile.  
“Sounds like a dumb superhero name… but thank you.”  
  
  
______

 

The class was… overwhelming, to say the least.  
  
Definitely the colourful cast that Komaeda had been eagerly gushing about earlier. Starting from the regal Ultimate Princess to the mysterious Ultimate Breeder, everyone seemed to stand out in their own peculiar, albeit unique way. With the exception of a few tight-lipped folks that apparently didn’t know how to be welcoming, Hinata was sure enough that he could get along with everyone.  
  
Yet, Hinata couldn’t help but feel on edge; especially with a three-foot, pink, rabbit-robot _thing_ as their supposed teacher. It was all far too suspicious, too unnerving to be true.  
The fact that their teacher, Usami, as she called herself, had been pressing on for them to simply enjoy themselves with a sunny smile.  
  
His feet scraped against the restaurant’s ceramic tile, lost in thought and pondering over the last few hours. He’d been able to simmer down and settle at one of the many tables at the restaurant to clear his mind, and thankfully, meeting everyone and exploring the island proved to be a welcome distraction.  
But that’s all it was: A distraction.  
Everything was still just a mess with too many questions, and not enough answers. A mess that was more confusing than terrifying, but if there’s one thing that Hinata couldn’t cope with, it was his wariness, his fear of the unknown; the anxiety that came ruthlessly gnawing at him when it came to what was indefinite.  
  
Thinking about what Usami said, about living peacefully with the others, he could only find a small humorless laugh bubbling in him.  
  
Hinata could only wonder how the hell it’d be possible in their situation.

How it’d possible to imagine relaxing on some unknown island with people he’d never met before.  
  
How it’d be fathomable to take it easy when he didn’t even have his memories.  
  
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. Even though he knew better than to fill his thoughts with worries, all his anxieties seemed to avalanche. All too soon, a familiar pressure started to set in his chest; one that he’d felt before, but too rarely to classify it as something he knew.  
That sinking feeling, where his body was being dragged through the earth while he was already six feet under. That horrible squeezing in his chest that made it feel like water occupied the space in his lungs instead of air, make his nails slowly dig into the tender flesh of his palms to make him feel grounded; feel alive.  
He wanted to feel alive. He wanted to desperately convince himself that he was okay, and that the paranoid voice in his head would be wrong this whole time.  
  
“Hinata-kun…?”  
  
He could hear someone faintly call his name, deterring his trance, but it couldn’t stop the physical sensations that overwhelmed his body. He couldn’t stop shaking, he couldn’t stop the sting behind his eyes, he couldn’t stop the cold that swept over him despite the sweat beading on his forehead.  
He could only _try_ breathing.  


“ _Hinata-kun_.”  
  
A firm hand clasped his left shoulder, making the boy jolt in his seat as if he’d connected with a current shock. He couldn’t lift his gaze from the floor, not even to meet the eyes of the owner of the soothing voice beside him. He couldn’t do anything at all to help in the overall situation, anyway.  
  
“You need to steady your breathing. You’re hyperventilating. Please concentrate on yourself.”  
  
Hinata forced his eyes shut, heeding the familiar voice and trying to steady the air filtering into his lung. Focusing on the rhythm of his breathing, even if the task was as strenuous as chewing on rocks.  
__  
A different voice chipped in from a distance.  
__  
“Hajime-chan?! Woah, woah, woah, you don’t look so lively. But don’t worry, Ibuki and Nagito-chan are here for you! Right?”  
  
“Ah! M-Mioda-san, I’m terribly sorry to i-interrupt you but, it looks like Hinata-san is experiencing an anxiety attack. I brought some water but, ah… N-not that I’d know any better! I’m so sorry…!” A frantic, teary sounding girl squeaked out the words a little away from him.  
  
Slowly, but surely, his nerves started to iron out. His breathing started to settle a little. Rather, he was relieved at the fact that he could finally breathe properly, he could actually _feel_ oxygen fill his lungs.  
His tensed muscles had eased at long last, though still a bit jittery, but stable nonetheless. He willed his eyes to open at once, just to give a bit of gratitude to the ones that helped him.    
  
Bleary, wet eyes opened to see Komaeda, as well as two of his classmates, Mioda and Tsumiki, looking to him laced with concerned expressions. Though, if Hinata was honest, Tsumiki had always been pretty… anxious, to put things mildly. Despite the heaviness in his head, a bit of relief washed over him, for the kindness they’d shown despite him being seen in such an embarrassing and vulnerable state.  
Before he could manage to express his gratitude, Komaeda reached out to him with a clear glass of water.  
  
“I’m… sorry that my filthy hand had to touch your shoulder but, ah, Tsumiki-san fetched this for you. Drink all of it, I’m sure it’ll help calm you a little.”  
  
Hinata obediently did as he was told, sputtering a quiet word of appreciation as the three of them kept an eye on the boy.  
Setting his glass down on the wooden table with a quiet ‘thump’, Hinata cleared his throat and spoke with a benign smile, “I’m sorry you all had to see me like that, but… thank you for looking after me. I’m not sure how or why this happens, but I have a hard time controlling myself when it all gets rolling.”  
  
“H-Hinata-san, it’s not a problem! You just had an anxiety attack, which is quite understandable in our situation. There are different ways to deal with them, so if you need guidance on how to cope, then I will do my best to provide you with the right medication!” Tsumiki spoke, with the slightest air of professionalism and confidence.  
Hinata could only wonder if the jittery girl he’d seen moments before, and this one was the even same person.  
  
“Ahaha… I don’t think medication is necessary for me, but thank you. And I owe my thanks to you too, Mioda.”  
   
“Noooooooo problem, Hajime-chan! Ibuki thinks that you seem like a pretty good fella, so she got worried, you know? But hey, hey! At least you’re a fighter, plus you gave Ibuki a really cool idea for a song title, so it’s time to get going!”  
With that said, Mioda was gone sooner than the rest of them could register.  
Though taken aback, based on their previous mostly one-sided conversations, Hinata had no problem digesting that she was a natural, human-bullet, escape artist, _as well_ as the Ultimate Musician.  


Quickly following after her, Tsumiki ducked her head in a small but polite bow before scurrying out of the restaurant and out to the lounge. Hinata let go of the breath he’d been holding in, turning to the boy on his left, noticing him twiddling his thumbs like a lost child.  
  
“Hey… how about we go check out our cottages? It’s been a long day, I think it might be good if we got some rest.”  
  
Komaeda perked up at that proposal, agreeing with a cheerful but polite smile as the two of them reorganized themselves and made their way outside.  
  
The residential area looked quite befitting of an island resort. Fit for sixteen students, with their own individual cottages, a shared pool, and of course, “Hotel Mirai” supposedly serving as their local restaurant and lounge. Hinata hadn’t a clue about where their food and resources came from, but that would be another question for another day.  
  
All this time, however, the wispy haired boy walked in silence beside him with his eyes cast to the floor, no longer studying and observing his surroundings like he did in their usual silence; instead he looked… nervous?  
  
As they walked up to their cottages, Hinata decided to carefully pierce the silence with a slight smile.  
  
“You didn’t think I forgot about thanking you, did you?”  
  
“—Huh?”  
Komaeda was startled out of his trance, eyes darting back to the boy now standing in front of him.  
  
“Thank you for… everything you did today. I really mean that.” Hinata raised a hand to the back of his neck, averting his gaze out of the slightest sense of shyness. “Everything has been so confusing and overwhelming, and I’d be wrong to say that I’m still not worried about the lack of information, but, I’m glad someone like you was there to comfort me.”  
  
Komaeda stared back at him as if Hinata was speaking a different language.  
  
“Wh…huh? Me? That’s impossible, you’re giving me _far_ too much credit, Hinata-kun.” At the tail of his name came an airy laugh as the boy clutched at the sides of his parka. “It’s my honor to accompany someone like you, I wouldn’t even mind if you discarded me like the trash I am and used me as a doormat after this! I am… truly not worthy of praise, but if you felt like I was even a slight comfort to you, then that is a great privilege.”  
  
His lips curled in a small smile, expression looking a little conflicted between wanting to accept Hinata’s gratitude or simply kick himself into the ocean for having the _nerve_ to accept anyone’s thanks.  
It was almost like he couldn’t quite believe that Hinata’s gratitude was genuine, but the latter was prepared for that much, fishing out a small ring from the front pocket of his pants.  
  
“Here.”  
Hinata opened his palm to the other boy, revealing a small silver ring with a crest plated onto the center piece. “When we were at the Rocketpaunch market, I picked this up at the vending machine. I want you to have this at least, as a sign of my thanks at least. And in hopes that we can get along and become friends.”  
  
With his lips pressed tight in an anxious expression, Komaeda looked hesitant to accept it, but had given into Hinata’s goodwill anyway. A bashful, but grateful smile overcame him as he looked toward the brunette and showered him in gratitude.  
  
_‘A friend, huh?’_  
  
  
____  
  
  
The two of them had finally parted ways after their long day exploring the island.  
With his back pressed to the door of his cottage’s interior, Komaeda gave himself a moment’s rest, speculating the ring that had been so graciously gifted to him by a classmate, an Ultimate, a potential friend.  
  
It put him at unease at how happy he felt.  
And it was that unease that made him feel sick with conflicting emotions.  
  
Despite it, Komaeda could still find a bitter smile coming to him, playing with the cool metal of the ring in his palm. He supposed that it’d always stay cold, as his hands were rarely, if ever, warm.  
  
  
“Ah… hahah… Hinata-kun is going to make things so much harder, isn’t he?”  


 

 


	2. Vin de serpent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear i didn't mean to take three weeks and two days to update this son of a gun but every time i wanted to write i felt hungry or i fell asleep....... forgive me for being a dumb bitch, but you may understand why it took a while longer to update once you actually get going. i promise i have a reason. 
> 
> i hope this chapter isn't too boring! it's mostly flashbacks and recounting, but mostly to get a better idea of whats going on in their heads and their thought processes... i mean, that's my intention at least.
> 
> note: lotta time skips to avoid repetition + pov change to komaeda at one point and then back to hinata; it's noticeable, but i thought i might point it out anyway

It was anything but pleasant.   
  
The situation was anything but hopeful, and Hinata had no choice but to believe in the reality of it.   
He was right all along; that gut feeling that clung to his insides that something was horribly wrong, twisting into something beyond a cruel joke.

‘Joke’ would be too light of a word, as he thought, feeling nauseous at the memory of it all.

And even as he lay in his bed, clutching his churning stomach, eyes bloodshot and stinging from the strain of sleep-deprivation, it wouldn’t even register in his mind.

_The killing game._

It truly was as terrifying as it sounded.   
What was once an afternoon full of hope as Komaeda had insisted, became thick with misery, horror, and most of all, despair. Hinata could still remember how, when everything seemed normal at long last, when he finally felt like he could be at ease with himself and those around him, the air started to taste different.   
  
Before he knew it, everything unravelled before him when a shadow fell over the land, the sun was sealed away behind dark, looming, stormy clouds, not a single ray of warmth able to pierce through the unspoken menace settling on the horizon.   
Even the palm trees began to quiver violently as if they were shivering from the cold, despite the heat of the wind; as cliché and surreal as the situation had sounded to his own ears, it truly was the beginning of the end.   
  
Hinata watched as his classmates faces, once bright-eyed and carefree, became contorted in distress.   
Why wouldn’t they, after all? Even if they all had their questions and lingering suspicions about their situation, they once had faith that things would turn out alright. Hinata finally had faith that everything could be normal.   
  
And as if to mock that sliver of hope, spit on it and bury it ten feet under the cold clayed sand beneath his feet, he heard _his_ voice.   
  
First came the ear-grating static, booming from the speakers planted throughout the island, followed by an unnaturally squeaky voice that could only be hounding for chaos.   
Hinata remembered his eyes darting to the monitor, stomach lurching at the sight of a silhouette behind the static and noise on the screen.   
  
  
_“Ahem. Mic test… mic test… ah-ah!”_  
  
  
He could remember distinctly how, as his eyes swept over the expressions of his classmates once again, he could see the confusion clouding their faces. Hinata wondered if he was the only one to feel such a strong sense of anxiety, maybe even frustration. Nonetheless, his attention remained on the uncannily bestial figure on the monitor, listening and just barely processing their words.   
  
It took a moment to register, while straining to listen over the rampage of his heartbeat in his ears, that the voice had demanded for everyone to meet at Jabberwock Park.   
  
Hinata’s brows furrowed as his eyes shot over to the other Ultimates, their resolve dawning on them as one by one they dispersed away from the seashore. He could catch familiar faces, like Souda, Hanamura, and Tsumiki, with faces clouded with what appeared to be fear. Others however, such as Owari, Pekoyama, and Tanaka, braved on with an aura of preparedness seething from them.   
And then there were certain stoics, laced with nothing much poker faces… Kuzuryuu, Nanami, Togami, and—  


“Hinata-kun?”  
  
The boy in question let out a quiet but surprised yelp, turning to the source of the voice only to find it to be Komaeda.   
A short sigh proceeded him as the other eyed him with concerned eyes, “Sorry… I’m fine. What did you want?”   
  
Unexpectedly, the expression of concern quickly melted away. A small laugh escaped Komaeda as he dug his pale hands into the pockets of his coat and let a slight smile play on his lips.  
“Isn’t it obvious? You spaced out for so long, I thought you missed out on everything. Come on, let’s get going. We have to get to the bottom of this game now, don’t we?”   
  
Hinata reluctantly steeled himself with determination, letting his feet run on autopilot as they both raced to Jabberwock Park; the boy pleading in his mind, not to let things fall apart, not to be as terrible as his mind was making things out to be. For all he knew, this could all be a prank. God, he hoped that it was just a prank.   
  
Which was why when he arrived at the park with everyone, hearing a monochromatic stuffed doll, _speak_ while practically reeking of a despairing miasma, he was broken; subjected to watch his lingering hope of a sane and peaceful school trip be trampled. He was subjected to watch the horror on everyone’s face as the madman, the self-proclaimed headmaster, explained and announced the commencing of the killing game.   
To get off the island, to meet their families again, to escape despair, one student would have to successfully murder the another without being caught.    
  
Hinata could practically feel the dread rising in his stomach, goosebumps lining his skin almost as an omen for what was to happen next.   
  
He could even see the malice clear, twinkling in the ominous red eye of Monokuma, as if that were mocking him as well.   
  
How naïve, to think that everything would sail along peacefully; after all, with a life so uneventful and monotonous, it was almost ironic that something as ground-breaking should happen to him. It was precisely why he believed, in the back of his mind, that things could only get more chaotic henceforth.   
As if his life was making up for the lack of calamity, in this one school trip, that just so happened to be about murder and execution.   
  
And yet, even if every fiber of him told him to give in and give up, his stubborn resilience toward hope continued to stick to his skin. The calmer part of him, the one that was his control, the one that kept him sane over the years in spite of all the pressure, pushed down on the rising anxiety and dread. It reassured him, just as a mother would soothingly coo to her newborn, that everything would turn out okay so long as no one made a move.   
  
He believed in such a thing, much to his own amazement, even as everyone looked at each other with wariness in their eyes and an atmosphere of suspicion and terror settling between them.   
  
But he still stubbornly clung to his hope. Even if the sky turned grey, even if they were thrown into a world of chaos, even if the sky collapsed on them. He would just have to believe in everyone, find some way to make it out together.  
  
Trust in a naïve faith which only made things tougher as after a mere two days of peace, he’d found the lifeless body of the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, Togami Byakuya.

  


 

* * *

 

 

 

“Are you sure he’s not just babblin’?” A growl resounded from deep within, “I could have pounded that bear-thing in seconds, just _let me at him!_ ”   
Owari’s voice could be faintly made out from just beyond the restaurant entrance, the aggression and eagerness to fight clear in her tone and words.   
  
As Hinata tiredly pushed open the doors to the restaurant, he was greeted by the sight of almost all the students gathered around, their worries evident on their expressions. Curiously, he found Fuyuhiko to be missing, but didn’t pay much mind to it. He didn’t seem like the sociable type in the first place, and apparently even more so during crucial times.    
  
An irritated sigh escaped Togami, raising a hand to cover his face in exasperation.   
“I’m not here to educate you unsightly dimwits, but if you _do_ have a bit of common sense in you, you’d realize just how much of a danger that is.”   
His calculatingly judgemental eyes scanned over the lot of anxious teenagers, as if his words were directed at everyone in the room and not just Owari. “Don’t rush into things so recklessly, especially since we all know what happened to our… “teacher”.”     
  
Hinata quietly drew himself closer to the crowd, wordlessly waving to Nanami, Souda and Sonia as their eyes met briefly, gently smiling back at him. Brought on by Togami’s words, stuffing the memory of Usami being torn to shreds in the back of his mind was a task of its own. He was mortified, surely, but it was all so much to process that the incident was the least of his worries, apart from the mechanical guard-beast, the Monobeast, that posed a threat.   
  
Yet another heaving sigh escaped him against his will as he crossed his arms together, a bit louder than anticipated, drawing the eyes of Togami himself.   
  
“What is it? Do you have something to add?”   
  
Mild panic coursed through him as their eyes met, and as he waved his hands frantically in denial, “No! No, sorry… it’s all just a lot to take in…”   
He let his gaze drop to the ground, feeling slightly intimidated by the larger man. He knew better than to let people see through him, but he also knew better than to make enemies for no reason.   
Bluntly honest and straightforward to a fault was how he knew to do things, and that trait unfortunately cost him on many occasions.   
  
The other huffed, taking his eyes off of Hinata and letting a different expression, one full of determination and confidence overtake him.   
“Then if there aren’t any objections, _I_ will be the one to take responsibility of you all and prevent any murders from taking place. No one will die under my watch.”  
  
Hinata stiffened slightly at the words, looking back up to him and then to the others, watching them mirror a similar state of awe.   
  
_‘Would that really be possible…?”  
  
‘I really want to believe in him…’_  
  
No one dared to counter the other man, as he stood at the center of the room. Some unsung hero, a responsibility that he cast upon himself out of what was seemingly goodwill.   
Hinata could only wonder how a man as seemingly arrogant could be so selfless. Or maybe it was his own fault, his own narrow-mindedness that clouded his judgement of Togami.  
Only time would tell how true he would remain to his word, but until then, Hinata didn’t hesitate to confide in him.  
  
A small hum broke everyone out of their stunned silence, “Ah… so I see we’re all under a little _tension_ here, so how about I whip up something real good to ease you all a little, hm?”   
Hinata caught Hanamura’s short and pudgy figure, leisurely breaking through the crowd as he head toward the kitchen.   
  
The Ultimate Cook beamed as he tamed his wild and cone-like pompadour, and observed as many heads in the room perked up at the mention of dinner. Owari, for one, already had a line of drool running down the side of her mouth.   
Even Hinata could admit that his stomach rumbled, intrigued at the thought of food made by Hanamura Teruteru.   
  
Casting his thoughts away from dinner, Hinata glanced over the class yet again, seeing them relax and break into quiet chatter. His eyes fell on Komaeda out of curiosity, noticing him smile and make light conversation with Souda and Sonia, and despite Souda’s disgruntled expression, they appeared to be having a pleasant time.  
   
It almost felt like nothing was out of the ordinary.   
  
Lost in thought, Hinata didn’t notice how long his gaze had lingered on the three of them, but as his and Komaeda’s eyes briefly met, they both exchanged a small but friendly and comforting smile.   
  
_‘Yeah,’_ He thought, _‘Things could turn out alright…’  
_

 

* * *

  


If his memory from last night’s meeting served, then according to Togami, the plan had been to organize a party in one secure area so that no one would have the chance to commit murder.   
The best bet for their “security-party” was the rundown cottage beside Hotel Mirai; seemingly old and out of shape, it was decided by Togami that each person would have a job assigned to help with the party.   
  
At least, that’s what seemed logical.   
However, the whining drawls and complaints from several of the rather loud-mouthed, –yet talented, — Ultimates were enough to change his mind, settling on just cooking and cleaning as main priorities.   
  
Cooking had been voluntarily taken up by Hanamura, with a flick of his comb through a lock of hair and simmering confidence. But not before departing with a particularly suggestive comment that Komaeda was sure made his skin crawl, even if he wasn’t the subject of such harassment.   
He’d decided to keep an eye out for the man, feeling a certain distaste for the Ultimate Cook gnawing within him.   
  
Clutching at the sides of his coat, he watched Hanamura’s figure disappear into the cottage without another word, Komaeda let go of a frustrated sigh, focusing his attention back to far more important things at hand.   
Things had already been moving along without him having to initiate anything at all.  
  
He’d been prepared for this. He’d been counting on it.   
  
After all, he believed in his luck, above all else.  


“Togami-kun! Why don’t we decide who gets to clean by picking sticks? I even have some ready!” Komaeda spoke while beaming at their self-proclaimed leader, who all but nodded solemnly at the suggestion.   
Reaching into the interior of his coat pocket, Komaeda brought out a bundle of bamboo sticks; the one to pull the one marked in a dot of red ink would be chosen for the cleaning responsibility.   
  
Biting the skin of his lip, he watched as they quietly gathered closer to the him, organizing themselves into a circular formation. The quiet chatter settling into a near silence that felt tense yet comfortable.   
If he wasn’t so focused, he’d be far more conscious of the fact that these men and women of such raw talent were right within his reach, even giving him attention… but then again, Komaeda could only think that was a rather arrogant assumption on his part. They weren’t here to see _him_ , but rather they were simply, but unknowingly, playing into his hands.  
  
  
_‘With this, we’ll finally be one step closer to hope.’_  
  
  
The boy could feel his skin crawl with excitement, barely able to contain the fantasies wreaking havoc within his mind; the alluring idea of truly achieving the hope he’d been clawing his way toward, slowly but steadily paving the road to it.   
He’d let the Ultimates walk on the remains of his mangled and bloodied corpse if it meant they would achieve and become the shining beacons of humanity.   
  
Following the yellow brick road, as it were.   
  
Komaeda would let himself willingly sink to the level of a seemingly insignificant villain, let Dorothy steal the magical silver heels from his crushed legs, as they were the key to her future, after all. The Wicked Witch of the East, the unsung saviour of Dorothy’s future, the one who’d brought calamity into the lives of many, and yet ironically enough, it was her own two shoes that saved the young girl at the very end.   
  
That’s what was written in his future, wasn’t it? That’s who he was.   
  
Even if he didn’t have control over his bad luck, he would at least twist and writhe until he could let everyone meet their bright futures. There was beauty to be desired in such a situation, such beauty that could only be attained by an unbreakable will would be enough to rejuvenate their lives once again.   
  
He felt everything bubbling within him, making his heart race at the thought of his plan being pieced together once more. He could twist such a classic tale, feel euphoria at the mere thought of being useful to the Ultimates, ignite the raging hope in their hearts as they would undoubtedly clash and grow stronger.   
  
As always, Komaeda was ready to give his life for the fate of such power and brilliance.  
He’d be free from the chains that bound him to his luck on this damned earth, and simply enjoy his last breaths as an accomplished young man.    


One by one, the students plucked a single stick out of his hands, occasionally, but subtly flinching as the more casual folks would accidentally brush the tips of their fingers by his pale hands.   
In fact, the mere prospect of it made his heart slightly race.   


“Alright, alright, no need to waste more time… let’s check.” Togami grunted to everyone, as they all pried away to peek and search for the unlucky dot on their sticks.   
  
Komaeda already knew it would be.  
He felt the smallest grin reside in his expression for merely a heartbeat, before hiding it with a faked look of distress. Unluckily enough, it was still noticed by Hinata, who’d been standing across from him, quiet yet observant the whole time.   


“Hey, what are you grinning about?” Hinata jested mildly to the other boy, “Are you that happy that you weren’t chosen?”   
Komaeda merely shrugged half-heartedly, still trying to maintain composure as the brunet stared him down with an amused smile. “Ahaha… Hinata-kun, I’m afraid that’s not quite true. As you see, _I_ was chosen for the cleaning jo—”   
  
  
“You apparently have poor taste in jokes, Komaeda…” Togami’s voice broke through the other’s, who Komaeda caught to be deadpanning back at him.   
  
Letting his eyes trail to the stick in Togami’s hand, he felt his mouth run dry suddenly. A slender, sandy coloured cut of wood, with the smallest mark of a red blotch at the end of it.   
  
  
_‘…Huh?’_  
  
  
Togami didn’t wait for the other to respond to his remark, and took the liberty to elaborate anyway, “It seems like I was the one chosen for the job. An absolute bother, mind you, but hardly a challenge for one such as myself. I won’t let my skills lack.”   
The others fell into a collective state of relief, tension easing as they felt thankful that every other soul dodged the bullet and didn’t have to take on the tedium of cleaning such a large and likely filthy cottage. The class took it as their cue and slowly started to filter out of the restaurant, leaving only Togami, Komaeda, and Hinata lingering back just a while longer.    
  
All this while, he’d kept it concealed, but despite the fact that it felt like the air in his lungs had been knocked out of him, he took another chance at good fortune.   
  
“T-Togami-kun, I don’t mean to stand in your way or doubt your skills, but are you sure you wouldn’t want some help with cleaning?” He questioned, fidgeting internally like a nervous child, clinging to the hope that the other would give in, that his plan would at least have a smaller but still decent chance of success.    
  
The man in question looked back at the other two, as if they were annoying underclassmen that had clung just a little too long to their upperclassman’s coattail. And yet, not a word of degradation was uttered, as he merely tilted his glasses closer up the bridge of his nose and sighed, “It’s fine. It might be a tedious task, but what’s fair is fair. In fact, I think it’s good that I was chosen; at least I’d be able to tighten up security.”   
He furrowed his eyebrows together, lips becoming a fine line, “Truth be told, I don’t quite trust people like Kuzuryuu. Those who are unwilling to cooperate will only cause trouble for me… which _means_ , you two had better not cause trouble for me.”   
  
Before Komaeda had a chance to slip a word in, Togami’s back was already turned to him, watching as the white of his coat flitted through the revolving doors. It was almost tempting chase after him. But Komaeda pushed down his urge; the slightest sense of awareness that Hinata was still in his presence, that he feared to make him uncomfortable or drag him along with his murder scheme much to the brunet’s ignorance.   
  
Then again, Komaeda stopped to consider why Hinata would ever be disconcerted with his plan to begin with; it was all in the name of hope wasn’t it? Weren’t all the students after a similar goal?   
  
Maybe, it was because his means of accomplishment were different, but no matter how you slice it, hope would always prevail, and things would continue on an upward path…   
Or at least, that’s what he thought. That’s what he had to believe in.   
  
Feeling his nails dig into the flesh of his palm, he felt the mild but rushing panic of watching his plan break away right before his eyes. Being at the center of the mystery, the unsuspecting foil, the decoy to spring the game into motion. That was the only way he’d make use of his life.   
And now that chance had slipped away, stripped from him.  
  
All because his luck ran out at the _worst_ possible moment.   
  
  
“Komaeda…?”   
  
The familiar voice of his classmate broke him out of his trance, suddenly aware of the warm hand on the small of his back, as if he was truly and genuinely concerned about the boy with the white mop of unruly hair.   
The warmth of Hinata’s hand was pressed to him, with less than a centimeter of cloth separating their skins… it was terrifying. It felt too alive.   
  
“It’s nothing, Hinata-kun! It’s just that, while I’m useless in every other sense, cleaning is a strength of mine.” Komaeda wheezed lightly at the end of his words, finally turning to catch a glimpse of olive green eyes staring back in slight confusion, “I thought it wouldn’t do any harm to offer my assistance.”  
  
The answer seemed to appease the other, separating himself from Komaeda’s back and easing into a relaxed expression, as he smoothened out his tie with the other hand. “Ah, I see… I believe you, I was just wondering why you weren’t leaving,” He spoke in a calm tone as the taller one simply smiled back kindly, “Rather, I was a bit worried about why you looked so worked up…”  
  
“Ahaha, Hinata-kun is worried about trash like me?! I’m so flattered!”   
A dry and airy laugh bubbled from Komaeda’s lips, making Hinata flinch and grimace for a fraction of a second. Komaeda could’ve even sworn that he saw the other’s eyebrow twitch a little before he pulled himself together.   
  
“N-no, it’s… it’s fine, Komaeda.” Hinata shook his head at Komaeda’s words, letting an uneasy sigh escape him as his eyes fixated on a wooden chair as if it was the most interesting spectacle in the room. “I feel bad for being rude to you on the day we met. All I did was try to get you to go away when you were only trying to help. Anyway, it’s the least I can do for a friend.”  
  
  
Komaeda froze.  
  
  
“A… what?”   
  
  
“Ah… maybe… I’m getting ahead of myself on this, but I do consider you a friend, you know. Along with the rest of our classmates too, I mean.”   
Hinata’s eyes skirted away from the other boy who’d been practically gawking at him, wide eyes and all in sheer surprise. He looked like he could _cry_ at the mere idea of friendship. Hinata nervously continued mumbling out a cover-up, “It’s just… important that we stay united in this time, so that the situation doesn’t get the best of us.”  
  
Komaeda barely registered the words he uttered afterword, fixated on deciphering their foreign new bond.   
Immediately, a part of his brain scolded himself internally. He knew better than to let his feelings overwhelm him, especially taking in the fact that he most certainly wasn’t the only one Hinata considered a friend; there was no point, no reason to feel such a rush of emotions.   
  
Yet, even if he knew that nothing good could come out of anyone befriending him, he felt a smile grow on his face despite him. It was small, but unlike any other he’d felt before; he couldn’t help but feel warm inside. To the point of feeling sickly, even.   
Indebted, honored, unworthy of friendship with such a brilliant beacon of hope.   
  
  
The two of them made it out of the lounge in comfortable silence, though Komaeda’s eyes still drifted to the old cottage doors as they walked past. Curiously enough, he’d noticed a sign with the words “Do Not Disturb” bolted to the wooden frame.   
_‘All to the credit of Togami-kun,’_ Komaeda thought to himself, still feeling unsettled at the confirmation that his luck truly wouldn’t let him have his way. The lock on the door, the sign, the fact that he wasn’t chosen for the job, only sealed his failure.   
  
_‘Failure.’_   
  
That word echoed in his mind.   
It wasn’t an uncommon one for him usually, but when it came to his luck cycle, when it came to manipulating the little things in his life so that things could work even slightly in his favor, he had faith. A life full of trauma would only prepare someone for that wouldn’t it? Recognizing the pattern, manipulating whatever he had control of, so that his “bad luck” could strike what wasn’t important to him.   
  
And yet, surprisingly enough, bitter failure was the taste on the tip of his tongue.

 

 

* * *

  
  
  
Hinata’s blood could’ve frozen dry in his veins.   
  
He only watched, wordlessly, with all the anger and frustration drained from his body, as the Ultimate Chef stood before them and pled for his life at the end of it all.   
It was hard to digest what had happened until now, as all sixteen of them watched the boy violently shiver and cry his mother’s name, tears staining his spotless white uniform. They may have all had different feelings about the trial, but they all felt it, they all felt the despair that was thick and hard to cut through.   
  
They had all come so far as a class, sharing their grief, their fears, their worries, and finding comfort in each other. It had all gone just fine until all this… It had gone just fine until Hanamura Teruteru had to be the one to murder the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, Togami Byakuya.   
  
Hinata had to step back, hearing his heart beat violently in his chest and ears as he recalled everything until that moment.   
  
He remembered… that the party had been set to full swing, Togami had complained that he was feeling sick, headed outside to look for Fuyuhiko as he’d refused to come. Hinata could distinctly recall how cheerful everyone was, how lighthearted and oblivious to despair everyone felt. He could distinctly recall the dread knotting in his stomach at the realization, once his eyes met the clock perched high on a wall, that Togami hadn’t returned in over an hour.

No one had seemed to worry to the same extent Hinata did, and he couldn’t blame them, as he knew his own paranoia seemed to overwhelm his emotions and judgement at times. And now, how he dearly wished it was as harmless as mere paranoia, when they came face to face with the truth.   
  
Everyone understood that it was a search party for him, to make sure that he was safe and unharmed.   
That was what he’d promised; to protect everyone, keep them in a safe haven, and that was the unspoken promise and mutual trust they’d placed back in him as well.   
  
It only took one horrified shriek to resound from Mioda, for Hinata to snap his attention to her, watching her mortified expression and slow foaming at the mouth, following the direction to where she pointed in sheer abstract terror. If it had been any other time, maybe Hinata would even find her reaction to be comical, but one look to where she pointed was enough to say that it was no joke, that the acidic bile climbing up from his stomach had threatened to spill over at the mere sight.   
  
  
The pool was permeated with blood.   
  
  
Hinata’s heart was too loud to hear anyone else’s panicked voice, inching closer to the edge of the pool waters illuminated as aquamarine and stained with fuscia, feeling the sweat of his hands grow cold and clammy, despite the heated summer night and raging cicadas as proof of it.   
  
It was almost amusing, even.   
  
It sounded like the cicadas were crying angrily in his stead when he couldn’t feel anything but fear choking him, concealing any coherent thoughts with more questions born of horror and frustration.   
  
  
_Why was it that he was looking at the lifeless and cold body of Togami Byakuya?  
_

_  
Why was it that he couldn’t do anything to prevent a murder from happening?  
  
  
Why was it that for the first time since the killing began, that he felt so overwhelmingly lonely and afraid of everyone?   
  
  
Wasn’t it his own decision to believe in his classmates?_  
  
  
There was a lump in his throat that felt harder than ever to swallow.   
Despite his rampaging thoughts, conflicted emotions, he wanted it more than ever before.  
  
  
_‘Even so… I want to believe in them.’  
  
  
_

* * *

 

 

_  
_ At the end of the line, there was nothing left to say.   
With the help of Nanami and Komaeda, as well as different accounts, Hinata grit his teeth and cut through the lies, the contradictions, the arguments, just to narrow it down to the killer.   
  
  
According to Tsumiki’s autopsy, his body was beyond recovery as his lungs had already been filled with water, which was why he sunk to the bottom of the pool.   
  
  
_One bullet._   
  
  
There was no struggle or resistance to stay afloat, according to Mioda’s auditory enhancement and skill.   
  
  
_Another bullet._   
  
  
He had likely died before falling into the pool. The cause of death was internal bleeding, caused by a slow acting poison that was only lethal if consumed in large amounts.   
  
  
_A third bullet._   


There was no poison to be found nearby, the closest being a half empty bottle of Habushu, with only 20% alcohol.  
  
  
_Yet another bullet._   
  
  
The only other poison was a barely, if ever used bottle of rat poison kept in the storage room.   
  
  
_A fifth bullet._   
  
  
Kuzuryuu could not be guilty as he was shut away in his cottage all day.   
  
  
_His final bullet._  
  
  
Hanamura insisted that Kuzuryuu drugged and poisoned him when Togami had gone to fetch him.   
  
  
_That was his downfall.  
Hinata aimed, and took his shot.  
  
  
_ “No, you’re wrong.”

Everyone fell into a stunned silence at Hinata’s words, watching him carefully as he pieced together every bit of evidence, to prove that Kuzuryuu was in fact, not the killer. Hinata could feel burning gazes on him, some of them desperate, others were cautious, as he took an unsteady but confident breath and began to speak.   
  
  
“There’s no way that Kuzuryuu was the killer if the cause of death was a slow acting poison.”  
  
  
Hanamura’s composure cracked ever so slightly at those words.  


“According to Nanami, the only reason Habushu is non-lethal as sake is because the usual alcohol percentage will nullify the snake’s venom… and that percentage is 59%, compared to the 20% concentration on the bottle.”   
  


The Ultimate Cook’s expression warped into one of feigned confusion, ignorance for Hinata’s words clear in his attitude.  
  


“If someone as enthused and knowledgeable about food such as Togami was to willingly consume something of _that_ concentration, they would surely know of the risks of such an alcohol or that it was unsafe to begin with.” Hinata’s lips pressed into a fine line as he spoke, eyebrows furrowing as even more started to piece together. “As if the killer was afraid of the plan backfiring with no outcome, it’d be foolproof to use a bit of real poison, even in a seemingly miniscule amount, wouldn’t it?”   
  
Before Hinata could wait for a reaction from the quivering man before him, practically bubbling in mindless retorts and scathing rage, he heard Komaeda’s voice add to the argument.   
  
“You’d have to take advantage of Togami-kun’s weakness and tendency to overindulge, wouldn’t you? Since you were with him all day, I mean.” There was an oddly playful smile on the boy’s face, as he spoke in a degrading manner to the accused killer.   
“Especially since you’re the one keeping track of portions each morning, and as the Ultimate Chef, I’m sure you know _very_ _well_ how sake tends to enhance flavor when there’s just the right amount, huh, Hanamura-kun?”   
His sigh was heavy as he let his next words slip from him, the smile ever-present on his lips but with eyes that spoke a different language, “It’s okay! I think it was a good try nonetheless. Even if you did utterly disappoint me with your lack of hope…”   
  
Hinata’s skin shivered for just a moment, eyes latching onto Komaeda in disbelief for the time that he’d been speaking.   
  
Realizing, that he had been so wrapped up in the trial undoubtedly, that he didn’t even notice how Komaeda had been acting funny. He seemed downright… _bored_ , with the trial.   
Eyes half-lidded, yawning, cheek in hand, as if it had been mere small talk that someone had interrupted his busy errand day for.   
  
Inconvenienced, annoyed, disappointed.  
  
It was all so strange to see…   
  
  
However, it was another question for another time. Another question for his oddly mysterious friend, another question to add onto the mountain of ones he already had.  
  
  
For now he pushed back with his words, watching and hearing the Ultimate Cook lose his composure piece by piece, yelling profanities, reverting to incoherent babbling and countryside dialect.   
It kept going, going, and going, breaking through every flaw. Breaking every argument. He kept pushing until the truth was revealed from Hanamura’s own lips, as he finally shattered and accepted the weight of his sins.   
  
  
“ _…I didn’t want to_. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to do all this, but I needed to see her again.”  
  
  
He tearfully admitted to it, letting the words slip from him; telling them about how he’d taken advantage of the fact that Togami was willing to ‘sample’ his new appetizer in large amounts; a simple but effective stir-fry dish, that even with the concentrated sake, would be harmless in small portions.   
  
He took the time to explain the pictures he’d found in the kitchen of his mother, one with her beaming with happiness and carefree delight as she posed for a picture within their cherished family diner.   
  
The other picture, was the ghostly shell of what had been the Hanamura Diner; destroyed, empty, dark and ruined in every inch of the photograph he’d shakily held in his hands.   
  
He expressed his desire to see his mother again, the panic and absolute desperation, the anguish clear in his voice. He’d pleaded that he had no intention or ill-will to murder anyone initially, but with his mother’s life on the line, all he wanted was to simply see her agai—    
  
  
“Aaaall right! I’m getting bored.” An obnoxiously shrill voice cut through the sentimental moment, and Hinata distinctly felt a new dread rising within him. “  
  
  
“Now, place your bets on whodunnit!”   
  


 

* * *

 

 

Hinata tossed and turned in bed, unable to get the lingering feeling of sweat off of him.   
  
Perhaps it was the summer heat that had been stifling him, making it difficult to fall asleep. After leaving the trial grounds, Hinata stormed off to his cottage without another word, leaving his classmates behind wordlessly. After all, he was certain that they were in no shape for conversation either, after the silent elevator ride up to ground level.   
  
No matter how many hours had passed since then, he couldn’t wrap his head around reality.   
Maybe his own anxieties made it seem like it would be possible to fathom, constantly leeching on the worst-case scenarios, but even after everything that had happened, he still wanted to be blissfully innocent.   
  
Was it selfish of him? Probably.   
  
But it was better than to lie awake, stained with the agonizing realization that their lives had always been in danger from the very beginning; the cards were always laid out in front of them, merely waiting to be played. This was a game, after all.   
There was still the truth that it would only take one weakened mind, one motive, one twisted resolve, to set everything into chaos.   
  
It felt like his peaceful days had come to an end.  
  
Rubbing at his burning and bleary eyes, Hinata pushed himself back up to sit upright. His skin felt oddly cold from the sweat that had dried over the hours he laid motionless in bed. But his resolve still stubbornly clung to his mind. It hurt him, made him feel guilty, but he wanted to try.   
  
He would force himself to get back up, build himself from whatever happened. Continuing and pressing forward, keeping everyone safe. That’s what his deceased classmates would want from him, right? No matter how difficult, that’s what he wanted for himself as well.   
  
  
However, there was still something that didn’t feel right when he thought back to the trial.   
  
Komaeda. His attitude, his words, his behavior.   
Something about him seemed off and at unease, which was particularly concerning to the brunet considering that he’d been just fine during the investigation.   
  
There was a certain glint in his eyes that made it look like he was excited, perhaps even drooling, as Hinata had caught him wiping the sleeve of his sweater against his mouth every now and then from the corner of his vision. But it seemed like the further they went into the trial, and the more they uncovered, the more irritable he became. Snappy and unimpressed; it felt so unlike the boy he’d met first after waking up.  
  
  
Hinata contemplated bringing it up to him, or at least spending time with him, as he found himself swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and waddling toward the front of his cottage.   
  
  
Maybe some fresh air would help clear his mind, after all…   
  
  
As soon as the front door was pulled open however, the boy froze in the realization of his unkempt state and rather messy attire. Having not looked in a mirror or cleaned up for more than fourteen hours, he likely looked disgusting. Fit for the role of a sleepless gremlin, even, if the slight grease in his hair or bags he _felt_ under his eyes were anything to go by.   
But before he could shut the door to hide his shameful state, an overly familiar voice chirped out to him rather cheerfully.   
  
“Ah, Hinata-kun? Good afternoon!”   
  
Hinata’s eyes trailed to the source, finding Komaeda by the main passage, probably having left his cottage merely moments ago as well. Embarrassed, Hinata had to fight the urge to crawl back into his residence to avoid the very possible judgemental stare over his appearance.   
If the trial was anything to go by, he’d learned that Komaeda was rather good at masking what he felt and thought with a cheerful expression. Still, as he stood before him, nothing about him truly seemed… ingenuine. He even seemed to be acting normal again.  
  
  
_‘It couldn’t hurt to take a chance anyway, right?’  
  
_ “Hey…” He hated how his voice croaked, nervous after having not spoken for hours, “How is everyone doing? How are _you_ doing?”    
Hinata struggled not to put the emphasis on ‘you’, trying not to make it obvious that he’d been concerned, considering how he’d managed to make him so unsettled with his questionable behaviour earlier. Though the comment seemed to go by unnoticed by the other boy, his smile seemed to falter a bit at the actual question.   
  
“Everyone is, for the most part, alright. But it seems like they may still be unsettled… I mean, if their occasional brutality speaks for their state of mind?”   
  
Hinata’s eyes widened as he choked up at the words, “B-brutality?! What the hell happened while I was away?”   
  
Komaeda’s smile slipped further away, expression becoming almost pitiful, even as he chuckled slightly at Hinata’s reaction. “It appears that I may have aggravated a few of the Ultimates a little… not that I didn’t deserve to be yelled at. It was my own miserable insensitivity and poor mood reading, you know?” His eyes downcast to the wooden planks beneath them, shame and self-loathing clear in his eyes, “I’m grateful for the fact that you all even tolerate my mere presence!”   
  
  
Hinata could’ve sworn he felt his heart pull a little at the other’s words.   
  
  
Sure, Komaeda was… odd, but that didn’t mean he deserved to be mistreated. Not even if he thought he deserved it.  
Everyone slips up and says insensitive things if they’re not a particularly good judge of atmosphere. Hell, even Hinata got into fights in middle school for being too straightforward, especially with people who weren’t good at taking his bluntly offered advice or criticism.    
  
But if what Komaeda said was true, wouldn’t it mean that during the trial he simply wasn’t reading the mood well enough? Was it a personal issue that made it harder for him to read the mood? Hinata could only wonder of the possibilities.   
Whatever it may be, it was clear that he needed to let it go and forget it. He knew everyone had their shortcomings, and with all that Komaeda had done for him all this while by staying by his side, it would only be fair to stay by his side as well.   
  
Letting go of a breath he’d unknowingly held, Hinata stepped out from his cottage completely and faced the blue skies yet again, a different kind of determination filling him as he stepped to the side of his nervous and rather self-deprecative friend.   
  
  
“How would you like to spend some time with me, Komaeda?”  
  
  
He wanted to understand more of him, after all.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen, murder is hard.   
> i'm not saying that as a murderer, but murder is just hard to plan. i'm no expert on any of this, so i went for a very Simple(tm) plan, that hopefully doesn't come off as shallow and flawed (just don't think too hard about the logic). 
> 
> some additional notes to make!:
> 
> -chapter title: "Vin de serpent" means "Snake wine" in french (thank you canadian education that forced 7 years of french on me, i will now use this power in all the wrong ways)
> 
> -the reason for it being in french is because 1) it's the main murder "weapon", 2) teruteru likes to come off as a fancy chef (komaeda humors him Once by calling him so) and names his dishes under french names, therefore it seemed appropriate
> 
> -Habushu/Habu sake/Snake wine, is an actual Okinawan wine. it is not lethal! but it usually has habu snakes in them (sometimes they live throughout the whole process), and as mentioned, their poison is nullified by the alcohol percentage -- this is under the pure assumption that any lesser of an alcohol concentration would not be strong enough to deter the poison, which was why i went along with this small quirk. 
> 
> -i am now absolutely terrified to the last fiber of my mortal body of snake wine
> 
> -i did not mean to focus this much on the trial, but i needed to justify certain aspects so that this wouldn't be a slap in the face to y'all.
> 
> -i added the boys when i could, but i'll focus on them more next time, i SWEAR
> 
> i believe that's it for notes! hope my work wasnt too shitty. thank you so much for reading thus far! i highly appreciate the comments and kudos because they really keep me going. i owe you all my life. 
> 
> chapter three will hopefully be up in a week's time!
> 
> thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> now i know i just gave Opalite some shit, but i'm praying that i didn't just embarrass myself with equally shitty writing.  
> again... not great at writing. it's not my strong point. in fact, i don't think anything's my strong point but--  
> I DIGRESS, thank you for reading this chapter! i sincerely hope y'all stick around for the next. 
> 
> some notes to make:  
> -i'm slamming the "pray" button hoping that i didn't write komaeda out of character. im trying my best he's such a Character  
> -this story will go off of a "behind the scenes" kinda nature; things that could have happened. i chose not to do a complete retelling because  
> i think that might be boring to read, so i wrote my own scenes for the most part  
> -this is more of a prologue chapter than anything, as the actual plot should start next chapter, but this is just like. a nudge into it.  
> -god i hope this isn't boring and i hope i'm not hyping this up as anything big (it's not, i'm just dumb and gay) 
> 
> see you next chapter!! please feel free to leave comments + kudos because i cry over them... thank you... <3
> 
> you can follow me on twitter @eggemperor


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